Deuteronomy 1 Study Notes
General
In the oath of 1:34-36, what reason does God give for letting Caleb see the land?
Answer: Because he had followed the LORD fully
When God heard the people's words, He was angry and swore that none of that evil generation would behold the promised land sworn to their fathers (1:34-35). He made an exception for Caleb, Jephunneh's son, promising him and his offspring the ground he had walked on, because he had followed the LORD with his whole heart (1:36). God said the same in Numbers, noting that Caleb had a different spirit (Numbers 14:24), and Caleb later reminded Joshua of the promise Moses swore to him (Joshua 14:9). Numbers 32:11-12 names both Caleb and Joshua as the ones who followed God fully.
- Deuteronomy 1:34-36 (BSB)“When the LORD heard your words, He grew angry and swore an oath, saying, “Not one of the men of this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your fathers, except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land on which he has set foot, because he followed the LORD wholeheartedly.””God swears the evil generation will not see the land, except Caleb, who followed Him fully.
- Numbers 14:24 (BSB)“But because My servant Caleb has a different spirit and has followed Me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he has entered, and his descendants will inherit it.”God says Caleb had a different spirit and followed Him fully, so he would enter.
- Joshua 14:9 (BSB)“On that day Moses swore to me, saying, ‘Surely the land on which you have set foot will be an inheritance to you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.’”Caleb recalls Moses' oath that the land his foot had walked on would be his.
- Numbers 32:11-12 (BSB)“‘Because they did not follow Me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years of age or older who came out of Egypt will see the land that I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob— not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun—because they did follow the LORD wholeheartedly.’”Caleb and Joshua are named as the only men who followed the LORD wholeheartedly.
Theological
What ground does the LORD give in Deuteronomy 1:36 for exempting Caleb from the oath against that generation?
Answer: Because he had followed the LORD fully
Provoked by the people's words, the LORD swore that no man of that evil generation would behold the promised land (1:34-35), excepting Caleb, to whom He promised the land he had trodden, because he had followed God fully (1:36). Caleb's inheritance was not earned merit but the reward attached to a faith that clung to God's promise when others refused it. Numbers 14:24 speaks of his different spirit, Joshua 14:9 recalls the oath about the land he had set foot on, and Numbers 32:11-12 pairs him with Joshua as the two who followed God wholeheartedly.
- Deuteronomy 1:34-36 (BSB)“When the LORD heard your words, He grew angry and swore an oath, saying, “Not one of the men of this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your fathers, except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land on which he has set foot, because he followed the LORD wholeheartedly.””God swears the evil generation will not see the land, except Caleb, who followed Him fully.
- Numbers 14:24 (BSB)“But because My servant Caleb has a different spirit and has followed Me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he has entered, and his descendants will inherit it.”God says Caleb had a different spirit and followed Him fully, so he would enter.
- Joshua 14:9 (BSB)“On that day Moses swore to me, saying, ‘Surely the land on which you have set foot will be an inheritance to you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.’”Caleb recalls Moses' oath that the land his foot had walked on would be his.
- Numbers 32:11-12 (BSB)“‘Because they did not follow Me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years of age or older who came out of Egypt will see the land that I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob— not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun—because they did follow the LORD wholeheartedly.’”Caleb and Joshua are named as the only men who followed the LORD wholeheartedly.
General
In 1:31, how does Moses describe the way God had brought the nation through the wilderness?
Answer: Like a man carrying his son the whole way
To calm their fear, Moses reminded Israel that God went ahead of them and would fight for them, as He had done in Egypt (1:29-30). In the wilderness, God had carried them the whole way, the way a man bears his own son (1:31). The picture is tender: God was not a distant master but like a father carrying his own child through a journey too hard for him. God had said the same at Sinai, describing how He bore them up as an eagle would and drew them to Himself (Exodus 19:4), and through Isaiah He promised to keep carrying His people to old age (Isaiah 46:3-4). Hosea recalls God teaching Ephraim to walk and holding them by their arms (Hosea 11:3).
- Deuteronomy 1:29-31 (BSB)“So I said to you: “Do not be terrified or afraid of them! The LORD your God, who goes before you, will fight for you, just as you saw Him do for you in Egypt and in the wilderness, where the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way by which you traveled until you reached this place.””Moses urges them not to fear, reminding them that God fought for them and carried them like a son.
- Exodus 19:4 (BSB)“‘You have seen for yourselves what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.”God describes carrying Israel out of Egypt on eagles' wings and bringing them to Himself.
- Isaiah 46:3-4 (BSB)““Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been sustained from the womb, carried along since birth. Even to your old age, I will be the same, and I will bear you up when you turn gray. I have made you, and I will carry you; I will sustain you and deliver you.”God promises that He who carried Israel from birth will keep carrying them.
- Hosea 11:3 (BSB)“It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms, but they never realized that it was I who healed them.”God recalls tenderly teaching Ephraim to walk and holding them by the arms.
Theological
What image does Moses use in Deuteronomy 1:31 for God's care of Israel during the desert journey?
Answer: Like a man carrying his son the whole way
Moses grounds his summons to courage in God's past deeds: He goes before Israel and fights for them as in Egypt (1:29-30), and through the desert He bore them as a man bears his son until they arrived where they now stood (1:31). The fatherly image expresses covenant grace; Israel's preservation was God's doing, not theirs. The same grace is voiced at Sinai in the eagles' wings image (Exodus 19:4), in Isaiah's promise that God who carried Israel from birth will carry them to old age (Isaiah 46:3-4), and in Hosea's picture of God teaching Ephraim to walk (Hosea 11:3).
- Deuteronomy 1:29-31 (BSB)“So I said to you: “Do not be terrified or afraid of them! The LORD your God, who goes before you, will fight for you, just as you saw Him do for you in Egypt and in the wilderness, where the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way by which you traveled until you reached this place.””Moses urges them not to fear, reminding them that God fought for them and carried them like a son.
- Exodus 19:4 (BSB)“‘You have seen for yourselves what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.”God describes carrying Israel out of Egypt on eagles' wings and bringing them to Himself.
- Isaiah 46:3-4 (BSB)““Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been sustained from the womb, carried along since birth. Even to your old age, I will be the same, and I will bear you up when you turn gray. I have made you, and I will carry you; I will sustain you and deliver you.”God promises that He who carried Israel from birth will keep carrying them.
- Hosea 11:3 (BSB)“It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms, but they never realized that it was I who healed them.”God recalls tenderly teaching Ephraim to walk and holding them by the arms.
General
According to 1:39, who would receive the land instead of the unbelieving generation?
Answer: The children the adults said would be captured
The adults had claimed their little ones would be taken as plunder. God answered that those very children, too young yet to tell right from wrong, would go in and take the land He would give them (1:39). The people used their children as an excuse for unbelief, but God showed mercy to those children. Numbers records the same promise: God would bring in the children the people expected to be seized (Numbers 14:31), answering the complaint of Numbers 14:3. God's promise to Abraham was not cancelled by one generation's unbelief; it passed to the next.
- Deuteronomy 1:39 (BSB)“And the little ones you said would become captives—your children who on that day did not know good from evil—will enter the land that I will give them, and they will possess it.”God says the children the people feared for would be the ones to enter and possess the land.
- Numbers 14:31 (BSB)“But I will bring your children, whom you said would become plunder, into the land you have rejected—and they will enjoy it.”Numbers records God's promise to bring in the children the people said would become plunder.
- Numbers 14:3 (BSB)“Why is the LORD bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?””The people had complained that their wives and children would become plunder.
Theological
Whom does Deuteronomy 1:39 name as the heirs of Canaan in place of the unbelieving generation?
Answer: The children the adults said would be captured
God turns the people's excuse back on them: the little ones they expected to be taken captive, who could not yet tell right from wrong, would go in and take the land (1:39). The unbelief of one generation does not annul the promise; God carries it forward in mercy to the next. Numbers 14:31 records the same reversal, directly answering the complaint in Numbers 14:3 that their children would be plunder.
- Deuteronomy 1:39 (BSB)“And the little ones you said would become captives—your children who on that day did not know good from evil—will enter the land that I will give them, and they will possess it.”God says the children the people feared for would be the ones to enter and possess the land.
- Numbers 14:31 (BSB)“But I will bring your children, whom you said would become plunder, into the land you have rejected—and they will enjoy it.”Numbers records God's promise to bring in the children the people said would become plunder.
- Numbers 14:3 (BSB)“Why is the LORD bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?””The people had complained that their wives and children would become plunder.
General
True or False: Deuteronomy 1:2 notes that the trip between Horeb and Kadesh-barnea normally took only eleven days.
Answer: True
This is true. Moses mentions that the route from Horeb (another name for Mount Sinai) to Kadesh-barnea, going past Mount Seir, was an eleven-day trip (1:2). The detail is striking because Israel actually spent forty years in the wilderness. A trip to the edge of the land that took under two weeks was followed by decades of wandering, because the people refused to trust God at Kadesh. God had said that the rebellious generation would wander forty years, one year per day that the scouts explored the land (Numbers 14:33-34), until that whole generation had passed away (Numbers 32:13).
- Deuteronomy 1:2 (BSB)“It is an eleven-day journey from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea by way of Mount Seir.”A brief geographic note on how short the trip from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea really was.
- Numbers 14:33-34 (BSB)“Your children will be shepherds in the wilderness for forty years, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness. In keeping with the forty days you spied out the land, you shall bear your guilt forty years—a year for each day—and you will experience My alienation.”God set the wilderness period at forty years, a year for each day of scouting, because of unbelief.
- Numbers 32:13 (BSB)“The anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation who had done evil in His sight was gone.”Moses later explains that the forty years of wandering lasted until the unfaithful generation was gone.
Theological
True or False: Deuteronomy 1:2 records that the route between Horeb and Kadesh-barnea took eleven days to travel.
Answer: True
This is true. The note that the Horeb route to Kadesh-barnea via Mount Seir took only eleven days (1:2) stands in sharp contrast with the fortieth year named in the next verse. The distance was short; the delay was the fruit of unbelief. God fixed the wandering at forty years, one year per day of the reconnaissance (Numbers 14:33-34), and His anger kept Israel wandering until the evil generation was consumed (Numbers 32:13).
- Deuteronomy 1:2 (BSB)“It is an eleven-day journey from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea by way of Mount Seir.”A brief geographic note on how short the trip from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea really was.
- Numbers 14:33-34 (BSB)“Your children will be shepherds in the wilderness for forty years, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness. In keeping with the forty days you spied out the land, you shall bear your guilt forty years—a year for each day—and you will experience My alienation.”God set the wilderness period at forty years, a year for each day of scouting, because of unbelief.
- Numbers 32:13 (BSB)“The anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation who had done evil in His sight was gone.”Moses later explains that the forty years of wandering lasted until the unfaithful generation was gone.
General
Where did the twelve scouts gather fruit to bring back to Israel (1:24-25)?
Answer: The valley called Eshcol
The scouts climbed into the highlands and reached Eshcol's valley, where they explored the region (1:24). They brought back produce from it and reported that the land God was giving them was good (1:25). Numbers adds that they cut one grape cluster that two men carried together on a pole, along with pomegranates and figs, and that the valley was named after that cluster (Numbers 13:23-24). Their first words to Moses praised the land's richness (Numbers 13:27). The problem was never the land; it was the people's lack of trust.
- Deuteronomy 1:24-25 (BSB)“They left and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshcol and spied out the land. They took some of the fruit of the land in their hands, carried it down to us, and brought us word: “It is a good land that the LORD our God is giving us.””The scouts explore the Valley of Eshcol and return with fruit and a good report.
- Numbers 13:23-24 (BSB)“When they came to the Valley of Eshcol, they cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes, which they carried on a pole between two men. They also took some pomegranates and figs. Because of the cluster of grapes the Israelites cut there, that place was called the Valley of Eshcol.”Numbers describes the huge grape cluster from Eshcol that gave the valley its name.
- Numbers 13:27 (BSB)“And they gave this account to Moses: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and indeed, it is flowing with milk and honey. Here is some of its fruit!”The scouts told Moses the land was rich and showed its fruit.
Theological
In Deuteronomy 1:24-25, where did the scouts obtain the fruit they brought back?
Answer: The valley called Eshcol
The twelve penetrated the hill country as far as Eshcol's valley and reconnoitered it (1:24), returning with its produce and the report that the land God was giving was good (1:25). Numbers supplies the vivid detail of the single grape cluster borne on a pole, which gave the valley its name (Numbers 13:23-24), and the spies' own testimony to the land's abundance (Numbers 13:27). Deuteronomy's retelling underlines that the evidence of God's goodness was in their hands when they refused to go up.
- Deuteronomy 1:24-25 (BSB)“They left and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshcol and spied out the land. They took some of the fruit of the land in their hands, carried it down to us, and brought us word: “It is a good land that the LORD our God is giving us.””The scouts explore the Valley of Eshcol and return with fruit and a good report.
- Numbers 13:23-24 (BSB)“When they came to the Valley of Eshcol, they cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes, which they carried on a pole between two men. They also took some pomegranates and figs. Because of the cluster of grapes the Israelites cut there, that place was called the Valley of Eshcol.”Numbers describes the huge grape cluster from Eshcol that gave the valley its name.
- Numbers 13:27 (BSB)“And they gave this account to Moses: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and indeed, it is flowing with milk and honey. Here is some of its fruit!”The scouts told Moses the land was rich and showed its fruit.
General
True or False: In 1:28 the people blamed the scouts, their own brothers, for filling their hearts with fear.
Answer: True
This is true. The people said their brothers, the scouts, had drained their courage by reporting that the inhabitants were bigger and taller than Israel, that the cities were huge with walls reaching to the sky, and that they had seen the Anakim, a people known for great size (1:28). They blamed the report, yet the same scouts had also said the land was good (1:25). Numbers records the scouts describing strong inhabitants, large fortified cities, and Anak's offspring (Numbers 13:28), and Caleb later remembered how his fellow scouts had melted the people's hearts (Joshua 14:8).
- Deuteronomy 1:28 (BSB)“Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying: ‘The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the heavens. We even saw the descendants of the Anakim there.’””The people say the scouts' report of tall people, walled cities, and the Anakim made them afraid.
- Numbers 13:28 (BSB)“Nevertheless, the people living in the land are strong, and the cities are large and fortified. We even saw the descendants of Anak there.”The scouts reported strong inhabitants, large fortified cities, and the descendants of Anak.
- Joshua 14:8 (BSB)“Although my brothers who went with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear, I remained loyal to the LORD my God.”Caleb recalls that the other scouts made the people's hearts melt with fear.
Theological
True or False: According to Deuteronomy 1:28, the people laid the blame for their dread on the report of their fellow Israelites who had scouted the land.
Answer: True
This is true. The people blamed their brothers for dissolving their courage with a report of a people greater and taller than Israel, massive cities fortified sky-high, and the Anakim (1:28), though the same scouts had affirmed the land's goodness (1:25). The account matches the scouts' report in Numbers 13:28 of strong inhabitants, great fortified cities, and Anak's offspring, and Caleb's later testimony that his companions caused the people's hearts to melt (Joshua 14:8).
- Deuteronomy 1:28 (BSB)“Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying: ‘The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the heavens. We even saw the descendants of the Anakim there.’””The people say the scouts' report of tall people, walled cities, and the Anakim made them afraid.
- Numbers 13:28 (BSB)“Nevertheless, the people living in the land are strong, and the cities are large and fortified. We even saw the descendants of Anak there.”The scouts reported strong inhabitants, large fortified cities, and the descendants of Anak.
- Joshua 14:8 (BSB)“Although my brothers who went with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear, I remained loyal to the LORD my God.”Caleb recalls that the other scouts made the people's hearts melt with fear.
General
True or False: In 1:38 God told Moses to encourage Joshua, because Joshua would lead the nation into its inheritance.
Answer: True
This is true. God said Joshua, the son of Nun and Moses' assistant, would enter the land, and He told Moses to strengthen him because Joshua would cause Israel to inherit it (1:38). Even while announcing judgment, God was already providing a new leader. The same instruction is repeated in 3:28. Numbers 27:18-20 records God telling Moses to lay his hands on Joshua and give him some of his authority, and near the end of Deuteronomy Moses publicly urges Joshua to be brave and firm (Deuteronomy 31:7).
- Deuteronomy 1:38 (BSB)“Joshua son of Nun, who stands before you, will enter it. Encourage him, for he will enable Israel to inherit the land.”God names Joshua as the one who will enter and tells Moses to encourage him.
- Deuteronomy 3:28 (BSB)“But commission Joshua, encourage him, and strengthen him, for he will cross over ahead of the people and enable them to inherit the land that you will see.””God repeats the command to commission and strengthen Joshua to lead Israel in.
- Numbers 27:18-20 (BSB)“And the LORD replied to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man with the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him. Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation, and commission him in their sight. Confer on him some of your authority, so that the whole congregation of Israel will obey him.”God tells Moses to lay hands on Joshua and share his authority with him.
- Deuteronomy 31:7 (BSB)“Then Moses called for Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance.”Moses later publicly charges Joshua to be strong as he leads Israel into the land.
Theological
True or False: Deuteronomy 1:38 has the LORD commanding Moses to encourage Joshua, who would bring the nation into its inheritance.
Answer: True
This is true. In the same breath as barring Moses, the LORD designates Joshua, Nun's son and Moses' attendant, as the one who will enter and cause Israel to inherit, and commands Moses to strengthen him (1:38). Judgment on the mediator is accompanied by provision of a successor, so the promise is not jeopardized. The charge recurs in 3:28, the commissioning with laying on of hands appears in Numbers 27:18-20, and Moses publicly exhorts Joshua in Deuteronomy 31:7.
- Deuteronomy 1:38 (BSB)“Joshua son of Nun, who stands before you, will enter it. Encourage him, for he will enable Israel to inherit the land.”God names Joshua as the one who will enter and tells Moses to encourage him.
- Deuteronomy 3:28 (BSB)“But commission Joshua, encourage him, and strengthen him, for he will cross over ahead of the people and enable them to inherit the land that you will see.””God repeats the command to commission and strengthen Joshua to lead Israel in.
- Numbers 27:18-20 (BSB)“And the LORD replied to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man with the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him. Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation, and commission him in their sight. Confer on him some of your authority, so that the whole congregation of Israel will obey him.”God tells Moses to lay hands on Joshua and share his authority with him.
- Deuteronomy 31:7 (BSB)“Then Moses called for Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance.”Moses later publicly charges Joshua to be strong as he leads Israel into the land.
General
Why were Israel's judges not to be afraid of anyone when deciding cases (1:16-17)?
Answer: Because the judgment they gave was God's, not man's
Moses told the new judges to listen to disputes and decide fairly, whether between two Israelites or between an Israelite and a foreigner living among them (1:16). They were not to favor anyone, treating the unimportant and the important the same, and they were not to fear any person, because judgment is God's (1:17). A judge was acting on God's behalf, so pleasing powerful people was beside the point. Cases too hard for them were to be brought to Moses. King Jehoshaphat later reminded his judges that they were judging on the LORD's behalf, and that He is never unjust or partial (2 Chronicles 19:6-7), and the law elsewhere forbids favoring either poor or rich (Leviticus 19:15).
- Deuteronomy 1:16-17 (BSB)“At that time I charged your judges: “Hear the disputes between your brothers, and judge fairly between a man and his brother or a foreign resident. Show no partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. And bring to me any case too difficult for you, and I will hear it.””Moses charges the judges to be fair and impartial, fearing no one because judgment is God's.
- 2 Chronicles 19:6-7 (BSB)“Then he said to the judges, “Consider carefully what you do, for you are not judging for man, but for the LORD, who is with you when you render judgment. And now, may the fear of the LORD be upon you. Be careful what you do, for with the LORD our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.””Jehoshaphat tells his judges they judge for the LORD, who has no partiality.
- Leviticus 19:15 (BSB)“You must not pervert justice; you must not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich; you are to judge your neighbor fairly.”The law forbids showing favor to either the poor or the rich when judging.
Theological
What ground does Moses give in Deuteronomy 1:17 for judges refusing to be intimidated?
Answer: Because the judgment they gave was God's, not man's
Moses charged the judges to hear cases justly, including those involving the resident foreigner (1:16), to show no partiality between small and great, and to fear no man, since judgment is God's (1:17). Human judges exercise a delegated, derivative authority; they answer to the divine Judge, so partiality is a betrayal of the One they represent. Hard cases were to be referred to Moses. Jehoshaphat's charge to his judges applies the same theology (2 Chronicles 19:6-7), and the holiness code forbids partiality toward poor or rich alike (Leviticus 19:15).
- Deuteronomy 1:16-17 (BSB)“At that time I charged your judges: “Hear the disputes between your brothers, and judge fairly between a man and his brother or a foreign resident. Show no partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. And bring to me any case too difficult for you, and I will hear it.””Moses charges the judges to be fair and impartial, fearing no one because judgment is God's.
- 2 Chronicles 19:6-7 (BSB)“Then he said to the judges, “Consider carefully what you do, for you are not judging for man, but for the LORD, who is with you when you render judgment. And now, may the fear of the LORD be upon you. Be careful what you do, for with the LORD our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.””Jehoshaphat tells his judges they judge for the LORD, who has no partiality.
- Leviticus 19:15 (BSB)“You must not pervert justice; you must not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich; you are to judge your neighbor fairly.”The law forbids showing favor to either the poor or the rich when judging.
General
When Israel reached Kadesh-barnea, what did Moses urge them to do (1:19-21)?
Answer: To advance and seize the land without fear or dismay
After crossing the huge and frightening wilderness, Israel arrived at Kadesh-barnea, at the edge of the Amorite hill country (1:19-20). Moses told them God had set the land before them and they should go up and possess it as He had said, without being afraid or losing heart (1:21). The command to take the land came together with a word of encouragement, because the victory depended on God, not on them. Caleb later urged the same thing when the people hesitated (Numbers 13:30), and God used the same encouragement with Joshua (Joshua 1:9).
- Deuteronomy 1:20-21 (BSB)“I said: “You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the LORD our God is giving us. See, the LORD your God has placed the land before you. Go up and take possession of it as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has told you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.””At Kadesh-barnea Moses tells Israel to go up and possess the land without fear.
- Numbers 13:30 (BSB)“Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “We must go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly conquer it!””Caleb urged the people to go up at once and possess the land, confident they could.
- Joshua 1:9 (BSB)“Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.””God gives Joshua the same charge not to fear or be discouraged, because He is with him.
Theological
What did Moses charge the people to do upon arriving at Kadesh-barnea (Deuteronomy 1:20-21)?
Answer: To advance and seize the land without fear or dismay
Having brought Israel through the great and terrible wilderness to Kadesh-barnea (1:19-20), Moses announced that God had set the land before them and summoned them to advance and possess it, forbidding fear and discouragement (1:21). The imperative rests on the indicative: the land is already God's gift, so fear is a failure of faith, not merely of nerve. Caleb's plea in Numbers 13:30 voices the same confidence, and the identical charge is later given to Joshua on the basis of God's presence (Joshua 1:9).
- Deuteronomy 1:20-21 (BSB)“I said: “You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the LORD our God is giving us. See, the LORD your God has placed the land before you. Go up and take possession of it as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has told you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.””At Kadesh-barnea Moses tells Israel to go up and possess the land without fear.
- Numbers 13:30 (BSB)“Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “We must go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly conquer it!””Caleb urged the people to go up at once and possess the land, confident they could.
- Joshua 1:9 (BSB)“Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.””God gives Joshua the same charge not to fear or be discouraged, because He is with him.
General
What did the LORD tell Israel to do at Horeb (1:6-8)?
Answer: Break camp and go take the land promised to the patriarchs
At Horeb (Mount Sinai) God told Israel they had remained there long enough and must now set out for the Amorite hill country and the surrounding regions, reaching as far as Lebanon and the Euphrates River (1:6-7). He had set the land before them and told them to go in and possess it, because He had sworn to give it to the patriarchs and their offspring (1:8). This goes back to God's covenant (His binding promise) with Abram, which named the same boundary at the Euphrates (Genesis 15:18), and to the oath He confirmed to Isaac (Genesis 26:3). Joshua was later given the same borders (Joshua 1:4).
- Deuteronomy 1:6-8 (BSB)“The LORD our God said to us at Horeb: “You have stayed at this mountain long enough. Resume your journey and go to the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the hill country, in the foothills, in the Negev, and along the seacoast to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great River Euphrates. See, I have placed the land before you. Enter and possess the land that the LORD swore He would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to their descendants after them.””God tells Israel to leave Horeb and possess the land sworn to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
- Genesis 15:18 (BSB)“On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates—”The covenant with Abram names the Euphrates as the land's boundary, matching 1:7.
- Genesis 26:3 (BSB)“Stay in this land as a foreigner, and I will be with you and bless you. For I will give all these lands to you and your offspring, and I will confirm the oath that I swore to your father Abraham.”God confirms to Isaac the oath about the land that He swore to Abraham.
- Joshua 1:4 (BSB)“Your territory shall extend from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great River Euphrates—all the land of the Hittites—and west as far as the Great Sea.”The same territory reaching the Euphrates is promised to Joshua as he takes Moses' place.
Theological
What command did the LORD give Israel at Horeb according to Deuteronomy 1:6-8?
Answer: Break camp and go take the land promised to the patriarchs
The LORD ended the Sinai sojourn by commanding Israel to move out toward the Amorite hill country and its neighbors, to the Euphrates (1:6-7), and to possess the land He had set before them on the basis of His oath to the patriarchs (1:8). The conquest is thus grounded not in Israel's strength but in the Abrahamic covenant, whose land grant ran to the Euphrates (Genesis 15:18) and was reaffirmed to Isaac (Genesis 26:3). The same boundaries are repeated to Joshua (Joshua 1:4).
- Deuteronomy 1:6-8 (BSB)“The LORD our God said to us at Horeb: “You have stayed at this mountain long enough. Resume your journey and go to the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the hill country, in the foothills, in the Negev, and along the seacoast to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great River Euphrates. See, I have placed the land before you. Enter and possess the land that the LORD swore He would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to their descendants after them.””God tells Israel to leave Horeb and possess the land sworn to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
- Genesis 15:18 (BSB)“On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates—”The covenant with Abram names the Euphrates as the land's boundary, matching 1:7.
- Genesis 26:3 (BSB)“Stay in this land as a foreigner, and I will be with you and bless you. For I will give all these lands to you and your offspring, and I will confirm the oath that I swore to your father Abraham.”God confirms to Isaac the oath about the land that He swore to Abraham.
- Joshua 1:4 (BSB)“Your territory shall extend from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great River Euphrates—all the land of the Hittites—and west as far as the Great Sea.”The same territory reaching the Euphrates is promised to Joshua as he takes Moses' place.
General
In Deuteronomy 1:37, what reason does Moses give for not entering the land himself?
Answer: Because the LORD was angry with him on their account
Moses tells the people that the LORD was angry with him too because of them, and said that Moses also would not go in (1:37). He says the same again in 3:26. Numbers 20:12 records God's words to Moses and his brother Aaron at Meribah: since they had failed to trust Him to display His holiness before the people, they would not lead the congregation into Canaan. Deuteronomy itself later gives that reason as well (Deuteronomy 32:51). Both reasons are true. Psalm 106:32-33 holds them together in two short verses: the people provoked God at Meribah and it went badly for Moses on their account, and Moses spoke rash words. The people's rebellion was the occasion; Moses' own failure was also real.
- Deuteronomy 1:37 (BSB)“The LORD was also angry with me on your account, and He said, “Not even you shall enter the land.”Moses says God was angry with him because of the people and would not let him enter.
- Numbers 20:12 (BSB)“But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust Me to show My holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.””At Meribah God tells Moses and Aaron they will not bring Israel in because they did not trust Him to show His holiness.
- Deuteronomy 32:51 (BSB)“For at the waters of Meribah-kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin, both of you broke faith with Me among the Israelites by failing to treat Me as holy in their presence.”Deuteronomy itself names Moses' breaking faith at Meribah as the reason he could not enter.
- Psalm 106:32-33 (BSB)“At the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD, and trouble came to Moses because of them. For they rebelled against His Spirit, and Moses spoke rashly with his lips.”The psalm joins both sides: the people provoked God and trouble came to Moses, who spoke rashly.
Theological
According to Deuteronomy 1:37, what does Moses give as the reason he himself was barred from entering the land?
Answer: Because the LORD was angry with him on their account
Moses says the LORD was angry with him on the people's account and barred him from entering (1:37; likewise 3:26). Numbers 20:12 gives God's verdict at Meribah on Moses and Aaron: they did not trust Him to uphold His holiness before Israel, so they would not lead the assembly in, and Deuteronomy 32:51 restates that they broke faith and failed to treat Him as holy. Both reasons stand together. Psalm 106:32-33 unites both elements: Israel's provocation at Meribah brought trouble on Moses, and he himself spoke rash words. The people's rebellion was the occasion, and Moses bore real personal responsibility. God's severity toward even His greatest servant underlines His holiness.
- Deuteronomy 1:37 (BSB)“The LORD was also angry with me on your account, and He said, “Not even you shall enter the land.”Moses says God was angry with him because of the people and would not let him enter.
- Numbers 20:12 (BSB)“But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust Me to show My holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.””At Meribah God tells Moses and Aaron they will not bring Israel in because they did not trust Him to show His holiness.
- Deuteronomy 32:51 (BSB)“For at the waters of Meribah-kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin, both of you broke faith with Me among the Israelites by failing to treat Me as holy in their presence.”Deuteronomy itself names Moses' breaking faith at Meribah as the reason he could not enter.
- Psalm 106:32-33 (BSB)“At the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD, and trouble came to Moses because of them. For they rebelled against His Spirit, and Moses spoke rashly with his lips.”The psalm joins both sides: the people provoked God and trouble came to Moses, who spoke rashly.
General
In 1:10, what does Moses compare Israel's great number to?
Answer: The stars of the night sky
Moses says the LORD had multiplied Israel until they were as many as the stars of the sky (1:10). He then prays that God would make them a thousand times more and bless them as He had promised (1:11). The comparison is not random: God had taken Abram outside, told him to count the stars, and said his offspring would be like that (Genesis 15:5), and He repeated the promise after Abraham offered Isaac (Genesis 22:17). Israel's growth was proof that God keeps His word, even though it also meant Moses could no longer lead them alone.
- Deuteronomy 1:10-11 (BSB)“The LORD your God has multiplied you, so that today you are as numerous as the stars in the sky. May the LORD, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand times over and bless you as He has promised.”Moses says Israel has become as numerous as the stars and prays for further increase.
- Genesis 15:5 (BSB)“And the LORD took him outside and said, “Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able.” Then He told him, “So shall your offspring be.””God first promised Abram offspring as countless as the stars.
- Genesis 22:17 (BSB)“I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies.”God swore again to multiply Abraham's descendants like the stars, the promise Moses sees fulfilled.
Theological
To what does Moses liken Israel's multiplication in Deuteronomy 1:10?
Answer: The stars of the night sky
Moses describes Israel as multiplied to the number of the stars (1:10) and blesses them with a prayer for a thousandfold increase according to God's promise (1:11). The image deliberately echoes the Abrahamic promise, first given under the night sky (Genesis 15:5) and reaffirmed with an oath after the binding of Isaac (Genesis 22:17). Israel's numbers are the visible evidence of covenant faithfulness, and they set up the practical problem of the next verses: the people have outgrown a single mediator's capacity.
- Deuteronomy 1:10-11 (BSB)“The LORD your God has multiplied you, so that today you are as numerous as the stars in the sky. May the LORD, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand times over and bless you as He has promised.”Moses says Israel has become as numerous as the stars and prays for further increase.
- Genesis 15:5 (BSB)“And the LORD took him outside and said, “Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able.” Then He told him, “So shall your offspring be.””God first promised Abram offspring as countless as the stars.
- Genesis 22:17 (BSB)“I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies.”God swore again to multiply Abraham's descendants like the stars, the promise Moses sees fulfilled.
General
According to Deuteronomy 1:22, who first suggested sending men ahead to scout the land?
Answer: The people, who came to Moses with the idea
Moses reminds Israel that all of them came to him asking to send men ahead to explore the land and report which route to take and which towns to approach (1:22). Moses thought the plan was good and picked twelve men, one per tribe (1:23). Numbers 13 tells the same event from another angle: there the LORD tells Moses to send out men, one leader from each tribe, and Moses sends them at God's command (Numbers 13:1-3). The two accounts fit together: the people asked, Moses agreed, and God directed the sending. Moses also speaks of the mission as his own act of sending the men out from Kadesh (Numbers 32:8).
- Deuteronomy 1:22-23 (BSB)“Then all of you approached me and said, “Let us send men ahead of us to search out the land and bring us word of what route to follow and which cities to enter.” The plan seemed good to me, so I selected twelve men from among you, one from each tribe.”The people ask to send men ahead; Moses approves and chooses twelve, one from each tribe.
- Numbers 13:1-3 (BSB)“And the LORD said to Moses, “Send out for yourself men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each of their fathers’ tribes send one man who is a leader among them.” So at the command of the LORD, Moses sent them out from the Wilderness of Paran. All the men were leaders of the Israelites,”Numbers records the LORD instructing Moses to send the men, and Moses sending them at His command.
- Numbers 32:8 (BSB)“This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to inspect the land.”Moses describes the mission as his own sending of the men from Kadesh-barnea.
Theological
In Deuteronomy 1:22, with whom does Moses say the proposal to send scouts originated?
Answer: The people, who came to Moses with the idea
Moses recalls that the whole people approached him requesting men to explore ahead and bring back word about routes and cities (1:22); he approved the plan and selected twelve, one per tribe (1:23). Numbers 13:1-3 narrates the event from the side of the divine instruction: the LORD tells Moses to send a leader from every tribe, and Moses obeys. The accounts are complementary: the request came from the people, Moses consented, and God authorized and directed the mission. Moses elsewhere speaks of it simply as his own dispatch of the men from Kadesh (Numbers 32:8).
- Deuteronomy 1:22-23 (BSB)“Then all of you approached me and said, “Let us send men ahead of us to search out the land and bring us word of what route to follow and which cities to enter.” The plan seemed good to me, so I selected twelve men from among you, one from each tribe.”The people ask to send men ahead; Moses approves and chooses twelve, one from each tribe.
- Numbers 13:1-3 (BSB)“And the LORD said to Moses, “Send out for yourself men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each of their fathers’ tribes send one man who is a leader among them.” So at the command of the LORD, Moses sent them out from the Wilderness of Paran. All the men were leaders of the Israelites,”Numbers records the LORD instructing Moses to send the men, and Moses sending them at His command.
- Numbers 32:8 (BSB)“This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to inspect the land.”Moses describes the mission as his own sending of the men from Kadesh-barnea.
General
After the people said they would now attack after all, why did the LORD forbid it (1:41-43)?
Answer: Because He would not be with them in the fight
Once God told them to turn back toward the wilderness (1:40), the people suddenly said they had sinned and would march up and do battle after all, arming themselves as if it would be easy (1:41). God told Moses to warn them against it, because He was not among them and they would be beaten by their enemies (1:42). They ignored the warning and went up anyway, which Moses calls rebellion and presumption, acting arrogantly on their own (1:43). Numbers records the same scene: Moses warned that the LORD was not among them, and the ark and Moses stayed in the camp (Numbers 14:40-45). Later, at Ai, God likewise told Israel they could not stand before their enemies while He was not with them (Joshua 7:12).
- Deuteronomy 1:41-43 (BSB)““We have sinned against the LORD,” you replied. “We will go up and fight, as the LORD our God has commanded us.” Then each of you put on his weapons of war, thinking it easy to go up into the hill country. But the LORD said to me, “Tell them not to go up and fight, for I am not with you to keep you from defeat by your enemies.” So I spoke to you, but you would not listen. You rebelled against the command of the LORD and presumptuously went up into the hill country.”The people decide to fight after all, God forbids it, and they go up presumptuously.
- Numbers 14:40-45 (BSB)“Early the next morning they got up and went up toward the ridge of the hill country. “We have indeed sinned,” they said, “but we will go to the place the LORD has promised.” But Moses said, “Why are you transgressing the commandment of the LORD? This will not succeed! Do not go up, lest you be struck down by your enemies, because the LORD is not among you. For there the Amalekites and Canaanites will face you, and you will fall by the sword. Because you have turned away from the LORD, He will not be with you.” But they dared to go up to the ridge of the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the covenant of the LORD moved from the camp. Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that part of the hill country came down, attacked them, and routed them all the way to Hormah.”Numbers records Moses warning that God was not among them and the attack ending in defeat.
- Joshua 7:12 (BSB)“This is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies. They will turn their backs and run from their enemies, because they themselves have been set apart for destruction. I will no longer be with you unless you remove from among you whatever is devoted to destruction.”At Ai God tells Israel they cannot stand before enemies without His presence.
Theological
Why did the LORD forbid the people's belated assault in Deuteronomy 1:41-43?
Answer: Because He would not be with them in the fight
When sentenced to turn back (1:40), the people professed sin and resolved to fight, treating the ascent as easy (1:41). The LORD forbade it because He was not in their midst and they would be defeated (1:42); their going up anyway was rebellion and presumption (1:43). Their confession was not submission; having refused to go when God commanded, they now went when He forbade, still acting on their own terms. Numbers 14:40-45 records Moses' warning and notes that the ark and Moses did not leave the camp, and Joshua 7:12 shows the same principle at Ai: without God's presence Israel cannot stand.
- Deuteronomy 1:41-43 (BSB)““We have sinned against the LORD,” you replied. “We will go up and fight, as the LORD our God has commanded us.” Then each of you put on his weapons of war, thinking it easy to go up into the hill country. But the LORD said to me, “Tell them not to go up and fight, for I am not with you to keep you from defeat by your enemies.” So I spoke to you, but you would not listen. You rebelled against the command of the LORD and presumptuously went up into the hill country.”The people decide to fight after all, God forbids it, and they go up presumptuously.
- Numbers 14:40-45 (BSB)“Early the next morning they got up and went up toward the ridge of the hill country. “We have indeed sinned,” they said, “but we will go to the place the LORD has promised.” But Moses said, “Why are you transgressing the commandment of the LORD? This will not succeed! Do not go up, lest you be struck down by your enemies, because the LORD is not among you. For there the Amalekites and Canaanites will face you, and you will fall by the sword. Because you have turned away from the LORD, He will not be with you.” But they dared to go up to the ridge of the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the covenant of the LORD moved from the camp. Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that part of the hill country came down, attacked them, and routed them all the way to Hormah.”Numbers records Moses warning that God was not among them and the attack ending in defeat.
- Joshua 7:12 (BSB)“This is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies. They will turn their backs and run from their enemies, because they themselves have been set apart for destruction. I will no longer be with you unless you remove from among you whatever is devoted to destruction.”At Ai God tells Israel they cannot stand before enemies without His presence.
General
True or False: After the defeat that sent them fleeing to Hormah, God heard the people's weeping and let them go up again at once.
Answer: False
This is false. The Amorites living in the highlands came out and chased Israel the way bees swarm, beating them from Seir to Hormah (1:44). When the people came back weeping before the LORD, He did not listen or pay attention to them (1:45), and they remained at Kadesh for a very long stretch (1:46). Tears over the painful results of sin were not the same as trusting God. Numbers records the people's bitter grief when they heard God's sentence (Numbers 14:39), and Hebrews warns that God was angry with that generation for forty years until they died in the desert (Hebrews 3:17).
- Deuteronomy 1:44-46 (BSB)“Then the Amorites who lived in the hills came out against you and chased you like a swarm of bees. They routed you from Seir all the way to Hormah. And you returned and wept before the LORD, but He would not listen to your voice or give ear to you. For this reason you stayed in Kadesh for a long time—a very long time.”The Amorites chase Israel like bees; God does not listen to their weeping, and they remain at Kadesh.
- Numbers 14:39 (BSB)“And when Moses relayed these words to all the Israelites, the people mourned bitterly.”Numbers records the people mourning bitterly after hearing God's judgment.
- Hebrews 3:17 (BSB)“And with whom was God angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?”Hebrews says God was angry with those who sinned until their bodies fell in the wilderness.
Theological
True or False: Deuteronomy 1:45 says the LORD heeded Israel's weeping after the rout to Hormah and immediately allowed them to advance.
Answer: False
This is false. The Amorites routed Israel like bees from Seir to Hormah (1:44), and when they returned weeping, the LORD would not listen or give ear (1:45); they stayed at Kadesh a long time (1:46). Grief over consequences is not repentance that submits to God's word. Numbers notes the bitter mourning that followed the sentence (Numbers 14:39), and Hebrews 3:17 reminds the church that God's displeasure rested on that generation until they died in the desert.
- Deuteronomy 1:44-46 (BSB)“Then the Amorites who lived in the hills came out against you and chased you like a swarm of bees. They routed you from Seir all the way to Hormah. And you returned and wept before the LORD, but He would not listen to your voice or give ear to you. For this reason you stayed in Kadesh for a long time—a very long time.”The Amorites chase Israel like bees; God does not listen to their weeping, and they remain at Kadesh.
- Numbers 14:39 (BSB)“And when Moses relayed these words to all the Israelites, the people mourned bitterly.”Numbers records the people mourning bitterly after hearing God's judgment.
- Hebrews 3:17 (BSB)“And with whom was God angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?”Hebrews says God was angry with those who sinned until their bodies fell in the wilderness.
General
When and where did Moses give the speeches that open Deuteronomy (1:1-5)?
Answer: In year forty, across the Jordan within Moab's territory
Deuteronomy presents itself as Moses addressing all Israel across the Jordan River in Moabite territory, at the opening of month eleven of year forty after leaving Egypt (1:1-5). By then Israel had already defeated Sihon of Heshbon and Og of Bashan. Moses was not giving a brand-new law but explaining the covenant again to the new generation about to enter the land. Numbers ends at this same spot, describing the commands given by way of Moses in the Moabite plains beside the river near Jericho (Numbers 36:13), and it records the victory over Og at Edrei (Numbers 21:33-35).
- Deuteronomy 1:3-5 (BSB)“In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses proclaimed to the Israelites all that the LORD had commanded him concerning them. This was after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and then at Edrei had defeated Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth. On the east side of the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses began to explain this law, saying:”Moses speaks in the fortieth year, after defeating Sihon and Og, and begins to explain the law in Moab.
- Numbers 36:13 (BSB)“These are the commandments and ordinances that the LORD gave the Israelites through Moses on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.”Numbers closes with Israel receiving commands through Moses at this same location in Moab by the Jordan.
- Numbers 21:33-35 (BSB)“Then they turned and went up the road to Bashan, and Og king of Bashan and his whole army came out to meet them in battle at Edrei. But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, along with all his people and his land. Do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.” So they struck down Og, along with his sons and his whole army, until no remnant was left. And they took possession of his land.”Records the defeat of Og at Edrei, which 1:4 says had already happened when Moses spoke.
Theological
What setting does Deuteronomy 1:1-5 give for Moses' address to Israel?
Answer: In year forty, across the Jordan within Moab's territory
The prologue locates Moses' address beyond the Jordan in Moabite territory, at the opening of month eleven in year forty, after the victories over Sihon and Og (1:1-5). The verb in 1:5 frames what follows as an exposition of the law already given, delivered to the second generation on the threshold of the land. This coheres with the close of Numbers, which places the final commands in the Moabite plains opposite Jericho (Numbers 36:13) and narrates Og's defeat at Edrei (Numbers 21:33-35).
- Deuteronomy 1:3-5 (BSB)“In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses proclaimed to the Israelites all that the LORD had commanded him concerning them. This was after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and then at Edrei had defeated Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth. On the east side of the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses began to explain this law, saying:”Moses speaks in the fortieth year, after defeating Sihon and Og, and begins to explain the law in Moab.
- Numbers 36:13 (BSB)“These are the commandments and ordinances that the LORD gave the Israelites through Moses on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.”Numbers closes with Israel receiving commands through Moses at this same location in Moab by the Jordan.
- Numbers 21:33-35 (BSB)“Then they turned and went up the road to Bashan, and Og king of Bashan and his whole army came out to meet them in battle at Edrei. But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, along with all his people and his land. Do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.” So they struck down Og, along with his sons and his whole army, until no remnant was left. And they took possession of his land.”Records the defeat of Og at Edrei, which 1:4 says had already happened when Moses spoke.
General
What did the people accuse God of as they complained in their tents (1:26-27)?
Answer: That God hated them and meant to destroy them
Instead of going up, the people refused and rebelled against God's command (1:26). Complaining in their tents, they claimed God had brought them out of Egypt because He hated them, planning to hand them over to the Amorites for destruction (1:27). This turned the truth upside down. God had rescued them from slavery, and Moses later tells them plainly that He redeemed them because He loved them and kept His oath to their fathers (Deuteronomy 7:7-8). The psalmist sums up the scene as complaining at home and refusing to believe God's promise (Psalm 106:24-25).
- Deuteronomy 1:26-27 (BSB)“But you were unwilling to go up; you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. You grumbled in your tents and said, “Because the LORD hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to be annihilated.”The people refuse to go up and accuse God of bringing them out of Egypt because He hated them.
- Deuteronomy 7:7-8 (BSB)“The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than the other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But because the LORD loved you and kept the oath He swore to your fathers, He brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”Moses later states that God redeemed Israel because He loved them, the opposite of their accusation.
- Psalm 106:24-25 (BSB)“They despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His promise. They grumbled in their tents and did not listen to the voice of the LORD.”The psalmist describes Israel grumbling in their tents and not believing God's promise.
Theological
What charge against the LORD did Israel make in their tents according to Deuteronomy 1:27?
Answer: That God hated them and meant to destroy them
Refusing to go up, Israel rebelled against the LORD's command (1:26) and, murmuring in their tents, interpreted the exodus itself as an act of divine hatred designed to deliver them to the Amorites for destruction (1:27). Unbelief here rewrites redemptive history, reading God's saving act as malice. Deuteronomy answers that very charge later: God's choice and redemption of Israel flowed from His unmerited love and faithfulness to His oath (Deuteronomy 7:7-8). Psalm 106:24-25 diagnoses the murmuring as disbelief of His promise.
- Deuteronomy 1:26-27 (BSB)“But you were unwilling to go up; you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. You grumbled in your tents and said, “Because the LORD hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to be annihilated.”The people refuse to go up and accuse God of bringing them out of Egypt because He hated them.
- Deuteronomy 7:7-8 (BSB)“The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than the other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But because the LORD loved you and kept the oath He swore to your fathers, He brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”Moses later states that God redeemed Israel because He loved them, the opposite of their accusation.
- Psalm 106:24-25 (BSB)“They despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His promise. They grumbled in their tents and did not listen to the voice of the LORD.”The psalmist describes Israel grumbling in their tents and not believing God's promise.
General
How were the leaders chosen to help Moses carry the burden of the people (1:9-15)?
Answer: The tribes chose them and Moses set them in office
Moses told the people he could not carry their troubles and disputes by himself (1:9, 12). He asked each tribe to pick men who were wise, discerning, and well respected, and he would install them (1:13). The people agreed, and Moses put these men over them as officers over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens (1:14-15). Exodus 18 describes how this system began: Jethro, whose daughter Moses had married, warned him the load was too heavy (Exodus 18:17-18), and Moses set up the same levels of leaders (Exodus 18:25-26). Moses had also cried out to God that the people were too heavy a burden for him alone (Numbers 11:14).
- Deuteronomy 1:13-15 (BSB)“Choose for yourselves wise, understanding, and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will appoint them as your leaders.” And you answered me and said, “What you propose to do is good.” So I took the leaders of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them as leaders over you—as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens, and as officers for your tribes.”Moses asks the tribes to choose capable men, then appoints them over units of the people.
- Exodus 18:17-18 (BSB)“But Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. Surely you and these people with you will wear yourselves out, because the task is too heavy for you. You cannot handle it alone.”Jethro told Moses the task of judging the people was too heavy to handle alone.
- Exodus 18:25-26 (BSB)“So Moses chose capable men from all Israel and made them heads over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. And they judged the people at all times; they would bring the difficult cases to Moses, but any minor issue they would judge themselves.”Moses set up the same leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, with hard cases brought to him.
- Numbers 11:14 (BSB)“I cannot carry all these people by myself; it is too burdensome for me.”Moses had told God he could not carry all the people by himself.
Theological
According to Deuteronomy 1:13-15, how were the tribal leaders selected and installed?
Answer: The tribes chose them and Moses set them in office
Confessing that he could not bear the people's burdens and disputes alone (1:9, 12), Moses directed each tribe to put forward wise, discerning, and reputable men, whom he would then appoint (1:13); the people consented, and he installed them over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens (1:14-15). The arrangement combines popular nomination with Moses' authorization. Exodus 18 supplies the origin of the structure in Jethro's counsel (Exodus 18:17-18) and records Moses establishing the same ranks (Exodus 18:25-26); Numbers 11:14 records Moses' own lament that the burden was too heavy.
- Deuteronomy 1:13-15 (BSB)“Choose for yourselves wise, understanding, and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will appoint them as your leaders.” And you answered me and said, “What you propose to do is good.” So I took the leaders of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them as leaders over you—as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens, and as officers for your tribes.”Moses asks the tribes to choose capable men, then appoints them over units of the people.
- Exodus 18:17-18 (BSB)“But Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. Surely you and these people with you will wear yourselves out, because the task is too heavy for you. You cannot handle it alone.”Jethro told Moses the task of judging the people was too heavy to handle alone.
- Exodus 18:25-26 (BSB)“So Moses chose capable men from all Israel and made them heads over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. And they judged the people at all times; they would bring the difficult cases to Moses, but any minor issue they would judge themselves.”Moses set up the same leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, with hard cases brought to him.
- Numbers 11:14 (BSB)“I cannot carry all these people by myself; it is too burdensome for me.”Moses had told God he could not carry all the people by himself.
General
Despite all that God had done, what does Moses name as Israel's failure at Kadesh (1:32-33)?
Answer: They would not rely on the LORD who led them
In spite of everything, Israel refused to rely on the LORD (1:32). Moses stresses that this was the same God who had gone ahead of them every step, in fire at night and cloud by day, scouting out places for them to camp and showing them the way (1:33). Their problem was not a lack of information or strength but unbelief. God had led them with the pillar of cloud and fire since they left Egypt (Exodus 13:21). The book of Hebrews draws the lesson for Christians: that generation could not enter God's rest because of unbelief (Hebrews 3:18-19), and Paul says these things happened as examples for us (1 Corinthians 10:5-6).
- Deuteronomy 1:32-33 (BSB)“But in spite of all this, you did not trust the LORD your God, who went before you on the journey, in the fire by night and in the cloud by day, to seek out a place for you to camp and to show you the road to travel.”Israel did not trust God, even though He led them with fire and cloud and found them places to camp.
- Exodus 13:21 (BSB)“And the LORD went before them in a pillar of cloud to guide their way by day, and in a pillar of fire to give them light by night, so that they could travel by day or night.”God had led Israel by a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night from the start of the exodus.
- Hebrews 3:18-19 (BSB)“And to whom did He swear that they would never enter His rest? Was it not to those who disobeyed? So we see that it was because of their unbelief that they were unable to enter.”Hebrews teaches that this generation failed to enter because of unbelief.
- 1 Corinthians 10:5-6 (BSB)“Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness. These things took place as examples to keep us from craving evil things as they did.”Paul presents the wilderness failures as examples to warn believers.
Theological
What does Deuteronomy 1:32-33 identify as the root of Israel's failure at Kadesh?
Answer: They would not rely on the LORD who led them
Moses identifies the root sin as unbelief: they would not rely on the LORD (1:32), though He had gone before them in fire and cloud, searching out camping places and showing the way (1:33). Unbelief in the face of abundant evidence of grace is the heart of the rebellion. The pillar of cloud and fire had guided Israel since the exodus (Exodus 13:21). The New Testament applies the episode directly: Hebrews concludes that they could not enter because of unbelief (Hebrews 3:18-19), and Paul presents the wilderness judgments as examples for the church (1 Corinthians 10:5-6).
- Deuteronomy 1:32-33 (BSB)“But in spite of all this, you did not trust the LORD your God, who went before you on the journey, in the fire by night and in the cloud by day, to seek out a place for you to camp and to show you the road to travel.”Israel did not trust God, even though He led them with fire and cloud and found them places to camp.
- Exodus 13:21 (BSB)“And the LORD went before them in a pillar of cloud to guide their way by day, and in a pillar of fire to give them light by night, so that they could travel by day or night.”God had led Israel by a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night from the start of the exodus.
- Hebrews 3:18-19 (BSB)“And to whom did He swear that they would never enter His rest? Was it not to those who disobeyed? So we see that it was because of their unbelief that they were unable to enter.”Hebrews teaches that this generation failed to enter because of unbelief.
- 1 Corinthians 10:5-6 (BSB)“Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness. These things took place as examples to keep us from craving evil things as they did.”Paul presents the wilderness failures as examples to warn believers.